To those who bow to the authority of great names, one remark may have its weight. The MECANIQUE COELESTE, [The first volume of the first translation of this celebrated work into our own language, has just arrived in England from--America.] and the THEORIE ANALYTIQUE DES PROBABILITES, were both dedicated, by Laplace, to Napoleon. During the reign of that extraordinary man, the triumphs of France were as eminent in Science as they were splendid in arms. May the institutions which trained and rewarded her philosophers be permanent as the benefits they have conferred upon mankind! In other countries it has been found, and is admitted, that a knowledge of science is a recommendation to public appointments, and that a man does not make a worse ambassador because he has directed an observatory, or has added by his discoveries to the extent of our knowledge of animated nature. Instances even are not wanting of ministers who have begun their career in the inquiries of pure analysis. As such examples are perhaps more frequent than is generally imagined, it may be useful to mention a few of those men of science who have formerly held, or who now hold, high official stations in the governments of their respective countries. Country. Name. Department of Public Office. Science. France.. Marquis Laplace(1) Mathematics President of the Conservative Senate. France.. M.Carnot Mathematics Minister of War. France.. Count Chaptal(2) Chemistry Minister of the Interior. France.. Baron Cuvier(3) Comparative Minister of Anatomy, Public History Instruction Prussia.. Baron Humboldt Oriental Ambassador Languages to England Prussia.. Baron Alexander The celebrated Chamberlain to Humboldt Traveller the King of Prussia Modena. Marquis Rangoni(4) Mathematics Minister of Finance and of Public Instruction, President of Italian Academy of Forty. Tuscany. Count Fossombroni Mathematics Prime Minister (5) of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Saxony.. M. Lindenau(6) Astronomy Ambassador.